Laying and cementing brick, block and stone and the application of plaster and stucco to structural surfaces have been the hallmarks of the masonry trade for many centuries. Since the inception of the masonry trade, some type of a holding member or container has been used to hold a small quantity of mortar, cementitious material or plaster that could be used by the mason to set bricks, blocks, sintered blocks, stones and the like or for holding plaster, stucco or other such materials. It is generally preferable for such holders or containers to be relatively portable so that they can be placed immediately adjacent to the structure on which the bricks, blocks or the like are being laid or to which the plaster or stucco is being applied, so that the mason can readily and efficiently scoop by a trowel, or other applicator, a portion of mortar or other material from the holder and apply it to the structure in a single swiping motion, without undue lifting or carrying of the material between the holder and the point of its application. It will be understood, that as used herein, the term “mortar” will be used to generally refer to and include all types of cementitious materials and acrylic based products that may be applied by a mason or brick-layer or the like to a structural surface. Such products may include, but not be limited to both traditional and synthetic products such as mortar, concrete, stucco, plaster, shotcrete, tile, grout and the like. Various configurations of such holding members such as mortar boxes, bowls, pails, troughs, wheelbarrows and mortarboards have been used for such purposes.
Of such devices, the carrier typically referred to as a mortarboard has long been used in the industry, and is the mortar carrier of choice, in part due to its simplicity. In its most rudimentary form, the mortarboard is simply a flat piece of material, such as piece of plywood or the like, generally about two foot square, that can be conveniently placed along a scaffolding or other support structure on which the mason is working. Mixed mortar or other such product is typically carried by a mason attendant from a larger batch of such material, such as from a mixer, and is deposited on such mortarboards spaced along the scaffolding or support surface, such that the mason can continuously apply such material to a work structure by sequentially taking the mortar from the spaced mortarboards as he/she moves along the scaffolding or support structure.
While conceptually sound, mortarboards, and mortar boxes (i.e. those holding structures having walls providing containment depth to the structure) have suffered from a number of practical shortcomings and inefficiencies. Known mortarboards or mortar boxes generally comprise a single piece of material that does not have any carrying handle or structure that would readily enable a number of such structures to be ergonomically hand carried to or around the job site. Further, known mortar box, pail, trough and bowl structures can be difficult to use since the mason must generally dig down into the mortar or other material, to lift it out of such structures.
Known mortarboard structures have also suffered various shortcomings. Wooden mortarboards, such as those made simply by cutting a section from a piece of plywood, have a tendency to fracture and splinter, and absorb water with use, subjecting them to rot. As they absorb water, they also increase in weight and become more difficult to move. Those mortarboards made from steel have a tendency to rust and are subject to denting or deformation if struck by a hammer or the like to remove unwanted dried material that may adhere to their surfaces. Known existing mortarboards are fairly heavy, making it more difficult to move a plurality of such devices from place to place. For example, for similarly sized mortarboards, a typical plywood mortarboard can weigh approximately 10 pounds, one of 14 gauge steel is typically about 15 pounds, and one of fiberglass construction weighs approximately 7 pounds.
Those mortarboards that have flat upper surfaces have a tendency to allow moisture or water to escape from the mortar or other material being held thereby, over the edges of the board. Such escapement makes it more difficult to mix or retemper materials carried by the mortarboard. Further, the flat surface offers resistance to a straight edged applicator tool such as a trowel as the mason scrapes the applicator tool on the mortarboard surface during mixing or across the surface in the process of removing material therefrom. To address this issue, some mortarboards have been configured with a peripheral edge or lip to retain moisture and the material on the upper surface of the mortarboard. Such lip, however, can impose an obstacle to the mason's applicator tool as he sweeps or swipes the mortar or other material from the surface of the mortarboard.
The present invention addresses such prior art shortcomings of holders for mortar and other such materials, and in particular the short comings of known mortarboard configurations.